“In the beginning, before the current Unova was born, there resided two twin brothers whose beliefs were the same, they believed in the same truths and the same ideals, they also believed their current life was inadequate. The Unova of the past was a very horrible; every day was a constant struggle to survive. The region had been ravaged by war, pestilence, and famine. Bodies lined the streets each day, and many resorted to eating their dead relatives to survive but soon, they too, fell to starvation. Seeing this, the two brothers climbed to the highest point in the region.

The top of Dragon Spiral Tower.

There they pleaded with the gods, “Please, please help us!” They cried over and over, Arceus hearing their cries appeared before them, pity in his eyes he created a being in which they could recreate the whole region.

“Use this Pokemon wisely, it has the power to create anything,” He warned before disappearing into the heavens. The two twin brothers recreated the region using the mysterious pokemon. The dead land was revitalized, the water turned crystal clear, the sky no longer an apocalyptic red, everything was as it should be.

The brothers told the people, “Make sure to take care of this land, and do not let it fall into despair!”

And this is what they did, and soon the scars of the past disappeared and the region became known as Unova. Things were peaceful for a long time, but soon…the twins had begun to change. Their truths and ideals began to differ… and soon they began to argue…

“I want to create a world of truth!” The older yelled.“I want to create a world of ideals!” The younger yelled.

So they fought, and fought, and fought over the Pokemon that had granted them so much power. The Pokemon saw the brothers fighting and fell into despair. The brothers did not notice this and continued to fight.

“Ideals!”“Truth!”“Ideals!”“Truth!”

Arceus shook his head at the two brothers and appeared before them, “I should have known to not trust humans, they always fight over power. I will create the ideal truth for you two and your fighting will end. You have caused my creation much pain, and this is the last time I shall ever grant such power to humans.”

And Arceus split the mysterious Pokemon in two.

The eldest brother was granted Zekrom, a being that held the world’s truths and would come to be known as the “yin” symbol.The younger brother was granted Reshiram, a being that held the world’s ideals and would come to be known as the “yang” symbol.

Not much else is known after that, no one knows what happened to the two brothers, or to Reshiram and Zekrom….

“….says the Legend of Yin and Yang, it is nothing more than a fairytale, I don’t know why people insist it is real,” an old mutters while closing an old book in a book store…

------

“Congratulations, you are finally 15 years old, old enough to obtain your trainers license! Time to start your grand adventure of being a Pokemon trainer! I’m sure you’ll make plenty of friends!” yelled Proffesser Juniper says happily and hands two boys a Pokedex. The two boys happily accept the Pokedex and start their journey.

Along the way they meet two girls, one who is completely skittish towards humans with midnight black hair and eyes and another girl who is always hasty in her ways but her hair is stark white and her eyes a light shade of silver and even though the two look eerily similiar they claim they have never met.

But it's not just internal mysteries that plague the group, a mysterious team called Team Plasma has been rising up all over the region...exerting power and stealing Pokemon. Still, you've got to be the best their ever was so try your hardest!

Appearance: William Alcaton is a boy with a conspicuous corpulence. He’s not exactly a mammoth of a man, but he can probably crush soda cans with his eyelids. Standing at 6’5 and with a chest of 110 centimeters, your fighting instinct probably isn’t what comes to your mind when you feel threatened by this character. He has a rough skin of slightly tanned color that denounces the fact that he spends most of his time outside. A life of outdoor living gave his vascular arms and sturdy legs enough endurance and volume to be a superathlete, but the truth is that he sucks at most sports, especially the ones involving balls. Most of his muscles are chiseled, and he doesn’t mind showing off by using clothes that might fit on his little sister. He is a relatively furry person, but his hairs are blond, making them considerably unnoticeable. His limbs are long, he’s got massive hands and feet and crooked fingers.

His face isn’t anything extraordinary. He’s got the normal inverted egg shape with prominent jawbone and delicate facial features. Hazel eyes that pierce into your soul and sparkle a beauteous yellow when hit directly by the sun. His eyes are very slightly pulled at the ends, saying something like, “I’m one 16th Asian.” Around them, he’s got short eyelids that are completely flat down, the way every girl would hate to have ‘em. A small, perky nose is found above his thin and rosy lips, ones that encompass pearl white, perfectly straight teeth. He never used braces, and that’s a miracle because his family has had generations of ugly dentures. He has very short, dirty blond hair, machine cut w/ razor no. 1. His hair has an uncannily rapid growth, however; and he needs to trim it at least once every two weeks in order to keep the same length. He doesn’t like having to style it because it takes him a lot of time, but if he let his hair grow, one would see he has some beautiful, albeit funny, curls. His ears are scantily pointed, and his cheeks present an ever-rubious color because of the skin condition known as rosacea.

For attire and accessories, Willy keeps it simples. He rarely sports something other than a solid color t-shirt, jeans, and running shoes. The t-shirt, however and as previously stated, hugs his figure tightly, his jeans are of a slim-straight fit and the running shoes are top-o’-the line and pretty stylish. It’s a must, however, that he is comfortable in his attire, for he loves running and doing acrobatics and stunts. He sports three wristbands on his right arm, the three of them rubbery and of vivid colors. On his right wrist, he wears a sports watch. He’s kind of a nerd, so one can tell it’s pretty cool and high tech. From his belt, he wears a clip with his cell phone, which has a pretty tight grip so it doesn’t drop while he’s monkeying around. He sports a golden necklace around his neck with ancient inscriptions, a gift from his parents. Finally, he is always seen carrying an average, grey Jansport backpack.

Equipment: He carries a matte black Zippo lighter in his pocket, as well as a Swiss Army Knife. In his backpack, he carries 2 other shirts, a pair of shorts, a small towel, a thin leather jacket, gloves, underwear, a notebook, a mechanical pencil, his Pokéitems, a screwdriver with many tips, and personal hygiene items.

Starter: Akai, the Tepig♀

((This is what I have up to now. Do we really need to do Personality and History? D: I mean.. It's always the same ol'... I think Appearance is the only relevant information, for now... What do you say if I develop the rest of the intro as I move on :D))

Personality: Hanako is a reclusive person to the extreme, one can blatantly say she fears people. She shudders at the thought of human touch, and gets physically ill in large crowds. She also has an extreme dislike for fire Pokémon for unknown reasons. She is not one who makes friends easily, communicating with her takes tact, which most people don’t have. She leads a lonely life, her only friend being her step-sister who left her to start her own Pokemon journey about a month before Hanako. Despite her fear for people, Hanako does love Pokemon, she likes all types, excluding fire which as stated before she fears for unknown reasons.

Hanako has developed quite a few quirks over the years, first off she is extremely ticklish, and although she dislikes being tickled can’t help but laugh which is a rare sight because of her shy nature Hanako never laughs and rarely smiles. Second, she is very fond of any type of sweets; her step sister often claims she has the biggest sweet tooth she’s ever seen. Hanako also seems to enjoy the story of Cinderella and always keeps a copy of the book on her; she won’t tell anyone why she loves the book so much, she just does. Hanako also always tells the truth, she can never lie, so people find it annoying when they are trying to hide something and she ends up blurting out the truth (it always irritated her adoptive sister when they lived together)

No one really knows why Hanako decided to go on a Pokemon journey because she has no faith in herself at all so she often panics during a battle and ends up losing; even so, she continues to try to do the best she can, knowing that her Oshawatt will back her up all the way. It can be assumed that Hanako went on her journey for a number of reasons, maybe it was a personal goal to try and change, maybe she wanted to prove herself to her adoptive sister and prove that she didn’t need to look after her, or maybe she just wanted to get away, nobody quite knows why a person such as herself decided to take on such a challenge.

History: One can say Hanako’s past is a mystery yet tragic at the same time. Her past does not start like normal. She can remember nothing before the age of 10; it was like she just woke up in a hospital bed one day. The doctor’s asked her if she remembered anything from before she woke up, to which she responded know. The doctor’s merely shook their heads and said, “Then it’s better this way, you should live in blissful ignorance,” and they he left the room. The nurse shook her head as well and told her she would be attending therapy for the next few months to relearn walking, and having control of her limbs. She asked why she had to attend therapy because her legs worked just fine but then Hanako noticed that her voice was raspy, like it hadn’t been used in months. The nurse then told her that she had been in a coma for three months since an accident and that it also left a good chunk of her body scarred.

Shocked by this revelation she asked if she had any family to which the nurse answered “no”. Hanako then slowly began to realize that she was alone in the world, no one to care for her. Where would she go? She had no one to care for her; did anyone even give her a name? No, she had no name; the doctor’s never gave her a name, to them she was just a patient with a number. She was a hindrance, a person who would be unable to pay the bill that they gave her, so she merely laid in bed most of the day waiting for the dreaded day when she had to be released.

Hanako didn’t know how long she was in the hospital for. Days, weeks, months, years, what did it matter? She had no one to return to, she would just be sent into a orphanage or a group home. So Hanako just stopped caring altogether, her sense of time had become so distorted she often didn’t know what day of the week it was, to her it was just another day closer to the inevitable.

After rigorous amounts of therapy, Hanako could finally move her arms to where she could use them again, and learning how to walk again with her newly scarred body she was released into a local orphanage. This is when she learned to cover the scarred half of her face using her midnight black hair. It didn’t matter if it was covered now anyway, she couldn’t see out of that eye anymore, it had been scarred shut, it was better if people didn’t see her severely scarred body.

It really didn’t stop people from bullying her though, calling her horrible names and constantly beating her up. It didn’t help that the group home took poor care of the children so it was a free for all, if you ever got food it always went to the older kids, so slowly Hanako’s body soon began to lose large amounts of weight. Whatever food she did get was rotten and disgusting and made her ill. At the tender age of 11, Hanako was raped by a group of older boys in a back alley way because she said something bad to their “leader” (even though to this day she never knew what she said). This is when her fear of humans first arose, she slowly became a recluse. Hanako kept away from everyone and anyone for fear of being raped again. This is when she became interested in books, specifically one children’s book. Cinderella, Hanako ached to have her own fairy godmother come and rescue her.

Not long after she had been raped the group home was raided and Hanako was once again uprooted and placed in an orphanage. It was the same story, a free for all, survival of the fittest, except every so often the kids would be lined up and some were adopted but many just aged out of the system.

One day, the kids were lined for a possible parent. Hanako could only watch as they scanned over the children, most of the time people passed her by because of her deformity and would often whisper something insensitive and cruel but this time the couple stopped at her.

The women bent down and pat her on the head which caused her to flinch away, the women then turned to her husband and nodded, and turned back to Hanako, “Would you like a home?” Hanako looked at them curiously and watched as the lady outstretched her hand to her. Slowly, ever so slowly, she grabbed the ladies hand and was led out of the orphanage for good.

“Do you have a name?” her new mother whispered, Hanako merely shook her head.“Then today fourth, you will be Hanako of the Ikezawa family. I’m sure you will be happy to meet your sister.”

Hanako was unsure of her new home however, after all she didn’t know what a loving home meant, and all she had known since she “woke up” was survival of the fittest. She had become so afraid of people she felt nervous just holding her new mothers hand and her knew parents finally began to understand just how far her fear of social contact was when they had taken her through a large crowd to the car, in which she became physically ill.

When they finally took their new daughter home, to Hanako’s surprise the home was neat and well kept, not like the two other homes. It was also a large size house too, and it had a friendly atmosphere to it. They slowly led their new daughter inside and then another small child the same age as Hanako rushed to great her new parents.

“This is your new sister,” They told the girl, the girl turned to Hanako and smiled warmly.“Nice to meet you, but what’s up with all the burn scars on your face and arms and stuff?” The little girl remarked and began to stare. Hanako could only look down and once again realize that she would never fit in, not even here but then something unexpected happened. The parents scolded their daughter for remarking on Hanako’s burns, no one had ever done that before!

This place was different then all the other places, Hanako wasn’t quite sure how but it was. Her new sister quickly took Hanako to her room and time passed. Hanako wasn’t very comfortable with her sister at first but then, soon enough, after about a year she finally began to open up to her new sister and they quickly became the best of friends. Her sister had always been kind to her and stood up for her when people made remarks about her scarred body but surprisingly Hanako still remained quite skittish towards people, she was unable to go into large crowds and still didn’t like to be touched.

Soon her sister left on her very own Pokemon journey and left Hanako on her own which brings us to present day where Hanako decided to follow her adoptive sister’s footsteps and start on a journey of her very own.

Appearance:

For her lower half it is a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of black converse, nothing too special, also around her waist is a black belt well all of her current Pokemon are kept

Equipment: She carries around a light-weight, black shoulder bag, which has an intricate flower design accompanied with a blue fairy sitting on a log in the middle. It consists of 3 pockets, in the two smaller pockets she carries extra pokeballs and healing supplies. In the largest pocket are a few simple living supplies, such a spare change of clothes, a few band aids, her pokedex, her stash of money and also her copy Cinderella is stashed away in the large pocket as well.

Starter:

Seychelles the Female Oshawatt.

Last edited by TheAlmightyGhostPrincess on Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:59 am; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : recolored her hair.)

Appearance: Artemis stands at about 6" tall, about half a foot shorter than his older brother. Unlike William, he is not, as they'd say, 'built like a champion'. Artemis is almost a polar opposite to his brother in stature, thin and limber rather than big and bulky. His arm and leg muscles are toned to a point of necessity, useful for escaping and not much else. His skin is fairer than his brother's, due to the lack of physical exercise he refuses to put himself through. His fingers stretch outwards, for those who are musically inclined.

Artemis' face is one of his better qualities. His features are deep set, edges sharpening outwards in fabric-ripping vertices. His eyes are slightly larger than usual, giving him the ever-so-slightly naive and innocent look, which conceals his true manner. His shaggy, medium-length, brown hair sits atop his head messily, giving his a rather disheveled look most days. His nose is sleight, and he usually looks like he is thinking very deeply.

Attire is reasonably simple for Artemis. A sports jacket sits atop a plain colour t-shirt, with a pair of jeans and running shoes finishing it off. Around his right wrist sits a plain silver analogue watch, a parting gift from his parents. A pair of white socks with a small red Gyarados wrapped around them hid under his white sneakers, a souvenir from a family trip. A basic pokeball-themed metal belt buckle holds a simplistic black belt around him. To top it off, a black fedora with white stripes adorns his head, a polar negative of his brother's.

Equipment: Artemis doesn't carry much on him at any given time. His belt holds some spare pokeballs, as well as a notepad and pencil. His wallet sits in his basic backpack, along with his various pokemon-related items, a spare change of clothes, a spare suit jacket and a blanket. In his pocket sits a small gold medallion with a pokeball imprimted on either side, a lucky charm he was given from his brother at a much younger age.

Arc 1: BeginningsChapter 1: A journey begins with a single stepPart 1: Getting the starter

Summary: Alright, it's the morning to start your Pokemon journey. Your first stop is too Professor Junipers lab where you get to pick up your first Pokemon and your Pokedex! Don't stop to smell the flowers by the way because your travel mates will be waiting for you!

Objective: Go to Professor Juniper's lab and pick up your starter

Places of Interest [This is obvious isn't it?]

Professor Juniper's LabA lab where Unova's greatest professor works. She is currently hiring starter training to complete her Pokedex.

People of Interest:

Professor JuniperA pokemon professor, she is very mature and takes her job seriously. Despite her seriousness she loves Pokemon very much.

Tip, tap, tip, tap. The sound of light feet running across the morning grass was very soothing to this girl’s ears. It somehow had a calming effect on her. She enjoyed feeling the brisk morning air; it was very pleasing to the senses. She could hear the birds chirping in the distance; out to get their morning breakfast Hanako assumed but what Hanako enjoyed best about early morning was the stillness. The lack of people was what calmed her most, she hated being around people.

She retrieved her phone out of her bag to check the time, it was a little bit past 6:45am, and it would be a while before people started showing their faces out of their homes. She had sent a text to her sister just minutes earlier but she figured her sister wasn’t up yet, she always had a habit of getting up late in contrast to Hanako who was always up to see the sunrise. Hanako always enjoyed the morning because it lacked what she feared most.People.

Ever since her time at the group home she began to fear people, she knew that not EVERYONE was bad but still, she could help but fear them. It wasn’t until just a few years ago she had met someone who actually cared about her, who didn’t call her a monster, who didn’t just stare at the scarred half of her face and body. Hanako was very careful about hiding her scars but people could still vaguely see them on her face, hair never really worked as a good cover.

Maybe she should invest in an eye patch or maybe a mask. Yes, that thought had crossed her mind many times but in the end she couldn’t bring herself to do it so she just used her hair. It’s not like she could really see out of the covered eye anyway, it had been scarred shut.

Hanako checked her phone once more once and her running had slowed to a steady walk. Why was she so anxiously checking her phone? She knew her sister wouldn’t respond this early, still she couldn’t help but check every few minutes. This would be the first time Hanako would have to talk to someone without her help, this past month after her sister left it had been lonely. She followed her parents around town shopping and only spoke to them and her parents often spoke for her.

Hanako took a deep breath trying to calm down but she just couldn’t do it. Her stomach was in knots; maybe she should just give up and go home? She checked her phone once more and too her surprise…

---New Message has arrived---

Hanako check the message, it was most definitely her sister because she had no one else to text.“So today’s the day, right? Are you okay?” the text read and Hanako smiled.“I’m just a little nervous…Okay, well, that’s an understatement I’m VERY nervous,” Hanako texted back.“Don’t worry, Professor Juniper is nice, she won’t stare, I wish I could be there with you right now but it’s too far for me to walk back, Purloin is exhausted. We battled our way to the nearest town yesterday and we’re both tired out. Sorry,” The text read.

“Sigh…And here I had hoped you would come and speak for me…” Hanako texted back to her sister, her sister didn’t respond back so Hanako figured she must have fallen back asleep. She probably only got up to check on Hanako.

She was such a good big sister; she had been protecting her since the day her parents brought her home from that horrible orphanage 4 years ago but Hanako had to learn to stand up for herself, she had to learn to let her sister do everything for her.

But that was easier said than done.

Hanako could hear the people in their houses stirring, she’d better hurry to the lab before people started coming outside, so she started her hurried pace again.

----

Hanako stood outside the lab, it was smaller than she expected and not very intimidating. Hanako raised her hands to her chest; she could feel her heart racing. Hanako took a few deep breaths and approached the door, she slowly raised her hand to the metal door handle.She took another deep breath; it was too late to chicken out, not when she had come all this way.

“Alright…here I go…” She murmured and opened the door and stepped inside.

The inside wasn’t all that frightening either, it was a bit dirty, but not the least bit frightening. Hanako took a few wary steps inside the lab when a being appeared before her in a flash causing her to squeak loudly.

“Oh my, did I startle you? I’m sorry, you’re here quite early, you must be here for a Pokémon correct?” The Professor smiled warmly and approached a table with 3 Pokeballs on it. Hanako nodded and approached the table. Sitting on top of the table were 3 red and white spheres, each with a different stickers on them. One was a leaf, one was a flame, and the last one was a water droplet. Hanako thought of her choice carefully, “Take your time, I’m making breakfast at the moment,” The Professor smiled again and disappeared into another room.

Hanako pondered her choices carefully.

Snivy, the grass type, Hanako thought about this decision, she might have chosen it if she held a fondness for grass types. Grass-types reminded her of the woods and outdoors which didn’t seem to be too appealing as a starter.

Tepig, the fire type, Hanako shuddered at the thought of a fire-type Pokémon as she touched the burn on her face. No, she would not choose the fire-type, she hated fire-types. They were horribly scary in her mind.

Then her eyes darted to the final Pokémon, the water type, Oshawatt. Hanako pondered the very thought of water for a moment, she closed her eyes and imagined a lake. The water is peaceful and calm, crystal clear, like glass, it also seems solid but when touched it ripples, breaking the glass-like appearance. It sort of reminded Hanako of herself, seemingly composed but extremely fragile over all, like she could break at any moment.

Hanako reached out her hand and picked up the water Pokeball. She could vaguely see the outline of the sleeping Pokémon inside.

“So, you want Oshawatt?” The Professor appeared out of nowhere, once again, and once again Hanako squeaked loudly. Hanako nodded slowly and held the Pokeball to her chest. Yes, this was her starter, her new friend whom she would name Seychelles. This would be Hanako’s new partner who she would bond with, “Well now that’s taken care of, come have breakfast with me, I’m waiting for two other boys to show up”

Hanako nodded and followed the Professor into another room and the fragrant smell of bacon and eggs made her stomach growl. The Professor laughed happily, “Did you eat breakfast this morning, dear?” Hanako nodded. She had indeed eaten breakfast before she left but it was nothing to fill her, it was just to drive away hunger until lunch time but smelling bacon and eggs reminded her of how hungry she was, “Well please have as much as you like,” The women smiled.

Hanako wasn’t too sure about this whole ordeal but she didn’t want to be rude, so she sat down at a nearby table and watched the professor lay out a full breakfast for her.

“T-Thank…you…” Hanako murmured. The Professor sat across from her and had her own breakfast. She wasn’t staring at her scars amazingly; she was treating her like a person.

“I hate to keep you but I would like to talk to all of the new trainers at the same time, you’ll be traveling together you know?”

Hanako nearly choked on her strip of bacon. The Professor looked at her curiously, “T-traveling….?” She muttered quietly she was surprised the Professor heard her.

“Yes, I like to encourage new trainers to travel together to build lifelong friendships,” The women looked at Hanako and her smile had disappeared and was replaced by a look of seriousness, “It must be hard for you, darling. You don’t seem to keep a lot of company, “Juniper sighed a tone of sadness in her voice, “Because of your looks, right?”

Hanako nodded slowly and took another bite out of her bacon.

“It figures, society today would rather look at a person’s appearance rather than their personality, a sad fact really,” Juniper sighed, Hanako was amazed at how wise she seemed, “But remember this dearie, your looks don’t define who you are, they may be an obstacle for you but we are meant to overcome obstacles.”

Hanako pondered this bit of advice for a minute before the professor’s smile returned and she laughed, “Now let’s eat!”

Haruka Yamamoto ran across the field, her pale silver eyes bright with delight. Her long silver hair blew in the wind behind her, and her black and white dress flowed elegantly with it. Today was the day. The day she got her first Pokémon! She hoped for this day for years, and now it was time! Nothing would hold her back, as she was going to be, as she learned from the internet, like a boss!

She skidded to a halt to double-check she had everything she needed for the trip she planned. Poke’gear imported from Johto, some food, few changes of clothes, a potion, lighter, and an ocarina with the symbol of yin and yang on it. “Everything’s here. I’m good to go! She lifted her bag over her shoulders again and began to run, the silhouette of Nuvema town growing larger as she raced across the grass. By the time she got to the town, she would be ready to collapse from the run, but kept herself standing from sheer willpower. She looked around the town and when she caught sight of the lab, a wide grin spread across her face.

The family that had taken her in since the “accident “were good friends with Prof. Juniper, and had promised a good surprise upon reaching the lab. A super awesome Pokémon was waiting no doubt. “Hm, wonder what they have for me. “ Her imagination wandered to powerful and rare Pokémon, like a charmander, or a milotic, maybe even a super rare pokemon no one has ever heard of before! She could wait no longer after that and rushed to the lab to get her partner. Without even so much of a knock she barged into the lab, cheering happily. “Professor! I’m h...here for my super special Pokémon! “

“Oh? Another trainer? “Juniper stood up from the table, smiling. “Everyone is so early today. Your Haruka right? Yamamoto? “Haruka nodded a few times, grinning. “I have just the Pokémon for you then. “Juniper smiled as she walked to a small table, opened the drawer and pulled out a poke ball with her name labeled on it. “Your family said it’s your favorite and, with how your past has been, we figured it to be a good idea you have it.”

Harukas eyes darkened at the mention of her “past”, but the realization she would have her favorite Pokémon snapped her back into a super cheerful mood. “Y...you…mean…I c...can have it?” She snatched the ball from the Professors hand and held the ball out. “Let’s get a look at you! “ The ball opened and a bright red flash struck the ground, when it cleared, a small Sandile lay, curled up with a tiny bubble coming from its nose. Harukas eyes sparkled in delight. “It’s… so c...cute!!! “ She picked up the little creature, who woke up in surprise, but did not seem to mind the affection he was being given. “Well little fella, I am naming you Chompers.”

“Dile~ the small Pokémon yawned, then snuggled into his trainers arms to continue his sleep.

“Well, why don’t you join me and the other young trainer here for breakfast? “ Juniper smiled, and Haruka agreed. Upon reaching the table, Haruka took a long look at the other trainer. She seemed oddly familiar, but she had no idea why. “This is going to be your traveling partner, Hanako Ikazawa. “ The strange girl looked up from her plate, silently stared at Haruka for a moment from a face half hidden by hair, and quickly returned to eyeing her food.

“Um...H...hello to you too? “Haruka blinked, confused as to why anyone could be so shy.

One of the many disadvantages of owning a bunk bed. If you slept on the top, you better be very damn careful not to roll off the edge.

“Yeah, Will, remove the railings, nothing bad is ever going to happen,” Will sarcastically repeated to himself before pushing himself up in a rapid movement. The thump had echoed all throughout the house, and the impact even knocked a few things off his bed. The lower bunk bed had a bunch of his clothes and other accessories he didn’t have time to store, matter that more than once had earned him scowls from his mother. Shamelessly, Will turned his alarm clock off and rushed for a towel to take a bath. He wasn’t really the environmental kinda person, and he wasn’t friends with the neighborhood hippies; but every time he took a bath he kept a stopwatch near with the five-minute mark ready.

A brush of teeth and many fragrance lotions afterwards, William got dressed in a plain, gray tshirt and jeans. He checked his backpack, same as he had done the past week every night. He was so anxious about this moment. So many years, finally coming to down to this very day...With a grin, Will stepped out of his room, pack steady on his back, and headed to the first story of the house; loudly knocking on his brother’s bedroom door. “You know it’s time, dude; we’re gonna be late!”

As he reached the ground with a small leap, he greeted his mom good morning. “Are you having breakfast?” Mom asked as she continued scrambling the eggs in a pan.“Of course not! That would take time, and time’s the last thing I have. I’m off mom, tell Artie he knew at what time we were leaving. I’ll be waiting for him in the Lab.”“Is that it?” His mother cut him off. “You’re going to be gone for weeks… Months… Years, maybe! And that’s all I get? An ‘I’m off, mom?’”

William laughed and took a step closer to his mom, embracing her and secretly picking an apple from the fruit recipient.

“I’m sorry. You know I love you. This… This is the greatest adventure I’ll ever embark on! It’s the beginning of a new life. I’m anxious!”

“Yes, yes… I know… Alright! I’ll spread the word to your brother. I’ll see you soon, dear. You’ve gotta call me every time you get a chance. Remember what we talked last night… Your father’d be proud.”

“I know mom… Thanks… I’ll make you proud. Let’s not make this harder than it has to be. Bye!”

Will was off. As soon as the door closed behind him, he let out a loud yell that made Pidgey fly off their tree tops.

“WOOOHOOO!”

A crazed, violent sprint began towards Prof. Juniper’s lab. He jumped on top of his front fence, which wasn’t at all tall, and then fipped over his mailbox. The people walking nearby awkwardly stared, but he didn’t mind. The day was bright and vivid, the morning dew and sunshine kissed his body, and there was nothing in this world that was going to stop him from achieving his goals. A couple of bounce kicks off trees and somersaults later, William reached the professor’s laboratory.

As soon as he was within touching range of the doors, the glass automatically slid open. Comfortable and without missing a single breath, William stepped in. The lab was impressive, and for a geek like him, it was only a gaming console away from being heaven. A bacon scented heaven.

“May I help you?” Juniper asked politely as she stepped out from the room where the smell was strongest. It was still early in the morning, but Juniper already seemed worked out and wide awake.

“Please do, ma’am!” Will told happily as he moved closer. “I’m William!”

“Oh, Artie… He’s a case, professor. He won’t be long, though. Do you mind, um… If we proceed?”

Juniper laughed. She got such a jolly from these young souls, almost reminding her of when she was younger.

“Not at all, let’s go.”

As they headed towards the PokéBalls, Juniper began some small talk. “Will, so I heard you and your brother are a year older than the usual kids I get here… What’s the case, why didn’t you come before? Most of the people are craving for the day of their 15th birthday to come over… Did you have other plans in minds?”

Before Will could answer, they both reached the last 3 PokéBalls, and the young man stared in awe. They were so sparkly and pretty. Just to think about the power hidden inside gave Willy goosebumps. As he answered Juniper’s question, he absentmindedly, subconsciously, reached out to rest his hand near on the PokéBalls.

“Well, professor… It’s something a little bit personal… Regarding our family. Our father… Something bad happened to him last year, regarding the criminal group that has been earning fame… Plasma?”

Juniper nodded.

“Yeah… We… We don’t really know about his whereabouts…”

William stopped. It always made him sensitive discussing the topic, mainly because it was so recent. He hoped, however, that this new adventure might liead him towards finding his father, or at the very least, vengeance. Juniper empathically smiled and the changed the subjet.

“That’s a Tepig.”

“Huh?”

“Yes… That’s my Tepig. She’s my lastest catch, the little creature is so adorable… I think you and her’d get along very well.”

Unhesitant, Will took the PokéBall. He was already familiar with the Pokémon, and decided not to release it on the very moment. “Akai…” He whispered before looking up to Juniper once again. “Thanks, professor. Before I leave, however, I’d like to wait for my brother.”

“Of course! I have to give you guys a briefing before you leave, anyway. Have you had breakfast, yet? Why don’t you head over to that room, there are some other new trainers in there as well. As soon as your brother arrives, this will get started.”

Will entered the room as instructed, and he just smiled at the two girls as he passed by, for they, too, barely seemed to be getting acquainted with each other. He took a seat in a table a couple of meters away from the pair, and there, he just waited; playing, clicking, and lighting with his Zippo to kill time.

“You know it’s time, dude; we’re gonna be late!”A voice pierced his unconsciousness, wrenching him from his blissful dream. He sleepily pried open his eyelids, gazing at his rooftop. Something important was happening today... Artemis couldn't quite put his finger on it though. He shed his covers half-heartily and trudged into the shower. The water rushed over his body, cleansing him of sleep's tendrils, fully awakening him.

"Oh sh*t".

Bolting out of the shower, he threw on his clothes. Hoisting his packed bag onto his shoulder, he paced into the kitchen.

"Look at you Artie, you're all grown up", his mother commented, smiling to hide her sadness. "You're brother's already gone, I won't hold you up for too long. Would you like some breakfast?"

"No thanks Mum", he replied, before embracing her. "I'll miss you".

"I'll miss you too Artie... You're father would be proud of you."

"Thanks Mum. Love you!" He yelled as he let go and burst out the door.

He crashed into a sprint, as excitement pushed the adrenaline through his body. The laboratory was only a short distance away, but the anticipation and morning air heightened his senses and invigorated his body. Artemis slowed to a halt as his reached the lab. The glass doors slid open and he paced through them.

"Oh! You must be Will's brother right? Artemis, was it?" greeted someone. She was a woman in her early 30s, dressed in a lab coat, plain t-shirt and a skirt. Artemis recognized her almost immediately.

"That's fine, I'm sure whatever you've left for me will be perfect." He winked at the professor, who blushed slightly. The one thing he'd learnt from his father.

"Here you go, Mr. Alcaton. A male Snivy". She handed him a ball with a leaf imprinted upon it.

"Hmmm... I think I'll call you Sebastian." He said, rolling the ball around his palm. "I don't suppose my brother is still here, is he?"

"Yes actually. He's right through there. I need to brief you all anyway, so follow me through." Artemis followed behind, smirking to himself. He sat down next to his brother, before turning his attention back to the professor.

Introduction: A rather acidic type, Valeria tends to hide behind a rather well-constructed layer of sarcasm. It is quite uncommon for Valeria to be genuinely genial to somebody, and the reason for this inevitably points back to the way she was raised. As the first born daughter of two hippies with an agenda of saving the earth and the ozone layer and every creature inbetween, and after being made to tolerate lecture after lecture on how both sides of the toilet paper sheet should be used, how meat is poison, and how Pokeballs are psychologically damaging to a Pokemon's psyche, Valeria in a sense rebels in her own little way by somewhat maliciously making fun of her parents' liberal ways. In a sense, she is intensely jealous of their selfless endeavors, for oftentimes these larger humanitarian efforts made her feel useless, insignificant, and in the way. She oftentimes felt guilty for being a cramp in her parents' plans to travel the world, to deworm orphans residing in wherever, to start a conservation program in the Orange Islands for the unique, indigenous species of Pokemon residing there. Before her sister, Hanako, was adopted and even afterward, Valeria found that acting out was the only real way for her to gain any of her parents' attention. It's an old cliche, but Valeria found that negative attention was worse than no attention at all. Not to say that Valeria's parents were cruel or neglected their children, it just proved a tedious task to balance the weight of the world on their shoulders while raising two teenagers. Valeria maintains an impulsive, rebellious streak, one that is constantly in a power struggle with the devotion and attention she lavishes on her younger sister. Oftentimes, this rebellion comes out in the way of malicious, offhand remarks, remarks she doesn't mean to offend anyone, but really cover up her own unease or insecurity. They are often a mechanism for deterring anyone who might be picking on Hanako to divert their attention away from her and onto Valeria, upon which she will take the full brunt of their wrath to spare her flighty sister from the burden. In fact, Valeria focuses so much attention on making sure Hanako is safe and comfortable that she has relatively few social interactions outside her family. As Hanako is glued to her side twenty four seven, and will speak to nobody but Valeria and their parents, Valeria has no chance to make any new friends. This is one of the reasons Valeria left on her own Pokemon adventure, to be able to make new connections, to see the world without feeling like her sister's keeper anymore, but also to give Hanako the space necessary for her to grow and branch out from Valeria's care. The thing Valeria isn't so sure about is her own ability to let go, after all, she has spent her whole life up until this point looking out for Hanako so the question remains: What comes next?

Appearance: Standing at 5'8', Valeria is rather tall for a female her age. While some girls might lament the fact that they had surpassed the standards for being 'petite' and 'delicate', Valeria appreciates her stature. A female who prizes her independence, Valeria has managed to achieve the perfect blend of pretty and potent. Hidden beneath the sleeves of her Tee shirt are a pair of rather athletic looking arms. They aren't outright meaty or anything; she isn't a body builder, but they are an indicator of alot of time spent carrying around her own heavy equipment. Valeria's pride will rarely enable her to ask assistance in completing a task, no matter how physically unsuited she is to it. Her body in general has a generally athletic build, broad chest, trim hips and thighs, muscular calves.. Her shoulders are further apart than most females', as compared to the fragility and delicacy of her youger sister. A pair of piercing grey eyes are the most dominant feature of Valeria's face, and they are just slightly turned up at the corners, making it seem as though she is often squinting in bright sunlight. Her hair is somewhere between a Chestnut and a dirty blond, and she frequently describes it as 'Caramel-colored'. Several chunky red streaks accent what she believes is an extraordinarily drab and plain hair color. A spatter of sandy freckles cover her face just above her cheekbones, and across her nose. Valeria doesn't bother with superfluous concealers, mascaras, or blushes, but she is a bit of an eyeliner fanatic. She experiments regularly with new colors.

Outfit: A pair of standard black sweatpants with two hot pink stripes going down the side of her left leg is a staple clothing item for Valeria. When packing for her adventure, Valeria tossed aside her thin cotton sundresses and dressy silk tank tops in favor of more durable and comfortable items. Even better, these sweatpants can easily be ripped off at the bottoms to make a pair of knee-length black shorts for Summer weather. Valeria adds flavor to these otherwise plain sweatpants by wearing unusual tank tops that look the victim of a shopping spree at a local thrift shop or Fleamarket (Oftentimes containing sequins, feathers, odd color schemes, or elaborate oriental designs), or plain low-cut Tee shirts containing a simple design, like the silhouette of a butterfly or an orange and yellow Sunflower. (When asked about this unmodest practice by Hanako, Valeria admitted that it wasn't so much to show off her girls as to allow them to air out after a long run at a breakneck speed.) Valeria keeps a hot pink and grey Columbia windbreaker tied around her waist if she isn't wearing it, and other accessories include a white backpack decorated with rainbow zebra stripes containing important items like her Pokedex, various medicines, canned and packaged foods for convenience, and a bedroll for her and her Purrloin to sleep in at night. Valeria also keeps a bathing suit on hand, for she is never sure when her adventure might require her to take an unexpected plunge. The suit is an aquamarine Bikini, wisely decorated with seaweed and such Water type Pokemon as Magikarp, Feebas, and Goldeen to camoflauge the wearer underwater.

Other accessories: Upon reaching her sixteenth birthday, when Valeria finally announced that she would finally be leaving on her own Adventure, her parents were so proud of her, that they decided that they would get her a going away present. When asked what she wanted, it took Valeria but a second to respond with "a tattoo". Though her parents weren't thrilled with this prospect, they had already offered, and so Valeria was allowed a small tattoo. A tiny pair of grey angel wings rests between her shoulder blades, and the arches of these wings can be seen whenever Valeria is wearing a tank top.

Valeria also carries around her ipod to drown out small talk, a small brush and a couple of other personal toiletries. She also has a Pokeflute, something her father picked up for her as a gift when he was in the Peace Corps. As she spent so much time at the house with Hanako, she has gotten quite good at playing it, and when needing to ease her mind or figure out a complicated problem, she can often be found standing and playing it, staring off into the distance. Her father once told her that it could gain the favor of a certain Pokemon, but she can't remember which one.

A miniature sterling silver heart locket resides around the girl's slender throat. The heart is decorated with elaborate three-dimensional designs, among them a miniature rose wrapped in thorns and an etching of a flame in the silver. Inside the locket is a picture of a younger Valeria and Hanako, Hanako hidden shyly behind her thick black mane as always, with Valeria's left arm wrapped around her, laughing loudly at something.

Hanako continued to eat her food in silence, unable to look the kind professor in the eye. She couldn’t look anyone in the eye, not as she was now and she wasn’t sure she had the ability to change either. She let out a nervous sigh and pushed the plate away and the kindly professor took it and put it in the sink that was close by and as if right on cue Hanako heard footstepswithin the lab.

“Oh, another trainer,” Juniper stood up from the table, smiling. “Everyone is so early today. You’re Haruka, right? Haruka Yamamoto?”

Hanako couldn’t help but examine the girl who was happily talking to the professor; she seemed to contrast Hanako perfectly right down to hair and eye color. Her hair was short while Hanako’s was long, her eyes and hair beautiful light silver while Hanako’s was a midnight black. She wore a beautiful black dress that was embroidered with white frills, while Hanako on the other hand would never consider wearing a dress because of her scars.

And there was the matter of personality…

She seemed very outgoing, but the way Hanako noticed Haruka’s eyes darken at the word “past” could mean that she holds a dark side as well. Hanako observed Haruka carefully. They were in perfect contrast to each other…And yet…

They seemed…so similar. That couldn’t be possible though, Hanako had very little interaction with people ever since she woke up. Hanako shook off the strange feeling and watched as the two approached the desk where Hanako was sitting.

“This is going to be one of your traveling partners, Hanako Ikazawa, “Juniper said with a smile, Hanako looked up from her plate for a mere second but then returned to eyeing the table nervously.

“Um...H...hello to you too?” The girl said. Hanako remained silent unable to look the girl in the eye.

“Now, now, my dear, why don’t you say hello?” The professor said with a smile. Hanako raised her head for a second she used one hand to cover the burned half of her face and the other to wave slightly to Haruka. Hanako then noticed that she was using her hand that had been scarred to cover her face, embarrassed, she returned to eyeing the table carefully.

“Hm, you two look like you could be complete opposites, and yet you two are so similar, are you two siblings by any chance?” Juniper inquired, once again Hanako remained silent, Haruka’s eyes darkened at the word “sibling”.

“No, we have never met before,” Haruka said with a smile on her face although Hanako could sense a sadistic undertone underneath the smile.

“I see… Well, regardless, you two look eerily similar, haha,” The professor laughed, Hanako only shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She heard the lab door open once more; this time however, a boy was coming to presumably claim his first Pokémon.

“May I help you?” Juniper stood up and asked the boy with a pleasant smile.

“Please do, ma’am!” Will told happily as he moved closer, “I’m William!”

“Oh, Artie… He’s a case, professor. He won’t be long, though. Do you mind, um… If we proceed?”

“Not at all, let’s go.”

Hanako eyed the boy and examined him, just as she did Haruka. He seemed like a pleasant young boy, quite tall though and he intimidated Hanako a bit. Hanako was never fond of men…not after that ‘incident’. Hanako could still the voices of those boys laughing in her head. She shudderedand shook the memory off.That was the past, this was now.

The boy soon took a seat across from Hanako and had pulled out what had appeared to be a lighter, much to Hanako’s dismay. She silently eyed the flame watching it go on and off, something in her stomach lurched violently.

Fire…fire…fire!

Hanako abruptly stood up and knock the lighter from his hands and watch it slide under the fridge. Hanako shook her head, “Y…you…shouldn’t pl…play…with…th…ings….like…t...that…” She managed to stutter out before sitting down and returning to silently eyeing the table, occasionally her eyes darting from one person to the next.

Soon a loud crash soon entered the lab causing Hanako to flinch and look up from her protective stance to see another boy stumble in the room in a frantic hurry.

"Oh! You must be Will's brother right? Artemis, was it?" Juniper greeted the new boy with a smile.

"That's fine; I'm sure whatever you've left for me will be perfect." The boy said flirtingly.

The two discussed a few things and soon Artemis followed Juniper into the kitchen. Hanako was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of people in the room.

“Now, you all have your starters I’m sure you all know why I sent out my ads for new Pokemon trainers, to complete my Pokedex of course, some of you might have your own reasons for going on your journey though,” Junipers eyes darted from trainer to trainer, “Whether it be for personal reasons or for personal growth, it does not matter, “She turned and face the window,” All that matters now is to try your best, and more importantly have fun.”

Hanako looked at Juniper and couldn’t help but think how amusing it was that she was making this sendoff speech so dramatic.

“You will make many friends, and more than a few enemies, I can’t gurantee your safety. But remember, the Pokemon that I just gave you will stick by your side no matter what, so do not mistreat it in any way, it is your companion from start until finish”

Juniper ended her speech by handing the group 4 different Pokedexes. Hanako examined her Pokedex curiously, looking at all the fancy buttons on it, her parents being very Eco nutty never really allowed for much electronics.

“I wish you the best of luck trainers,” Juniper smiled.

Hanako nodded, so she was going to be traveling with these three, huh?

This was going to be a loooong journey.

[Will post chapter 2 tomorrow]

Last edited by TheAlmightyGhostPrincess on Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:15 am; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : HNNNGH, posting format!)

Haruka shrugged off the comment that she and Hanako looked similar. A boy entering the lab caught her attention then and she sat down to eat some bacon as Professor Juniper got him settled. When the boy, called William entered the kitchen, Haruka liked him immediately. He seemed friendly, and from his reaction to Junipers question about his father, seemed to also have a dark underside. She would enjoy this meeting. She smiled at him when he came to sit down at the table, and when she saw his Zippo, her eyes sparkled. Fire, Ever since that day, she loved fire. The color, the feel of the warmth on her skin, the way its light pierced the dark, and the way it could destroy anything that got in its way. She felt she herself was like a flame, small and beautiful, but able to become the fiercest thing anyone could possibly take on, never going out without a fight. When the girl Hanako shoved the lighter from the boys’ hand, Harukas eyes narrowed in disapproval.

“Y…you…shouldn’t pl…play…with…th…ings….like…t...that…“ Hanako stuttered. So, the girl didn’t like people playing with fire? Well, The saying does say if you play with it, you can get burned. With the girls’ scars, perhaps she got in some accident to make her so fearful of risky things like that, but what business of it is hers, if the boy wants to mess with things? He would only learn when he messes up, that simple. Her thoughts were interrupted when another boy entered the room, and from his slight resemblance to William, he had to be the brother he was waiting for.

“Hmm. He’s somewhat cute…” Haruka thought, smirking as she noticed how flirty he was with the Professor. When the boy came over to the table after choosing his Pokémon, she couldn’t help but wink at him. After everyone was gathered, Juniper began her speech.

“Now, you all have your starters I’m sure you all know why I sent out my ads for new Pokémon trainers, to complete my Pokedex of course, some of you might have your own reasons for going on your journey though,” She looked at each of the trainers. Haruka smiled. So, they were going to all travel together? Two girls and two boys without any adult supervision? Sheesh, it was like Juniper was trying to promote underage naughty-ness. Haruka had to chuckle at that thought. “Whether it be for personal reasons or for personal growth, it does not matter. All that matters now is to try your best, and more importantly have fun.” Yup. Totally not realizing what she was sending these four into. And she was considered a professional? “You will make many friends, and more than a few enemies, I can’t guarantee your safety. But remember, the Pokémon that I just gave you will stick by your side no matter what, so do not mistreat it in any way, it is your companion from start until finish”

“Well That’s an inspiring speech. “ Haruka chuckled again as she took her pokedex from the professor. The small green device would be one of her most important pieces of equipment, besides her poke’gear.

“I wish you the best of luck trainers,” Juniper smiled.

“I make my own luck.” Haruka grinned and started out the door from the lab. She would head out toward route one, figuring the others would be right behind. One thing was for sure, Haruka Yamamoto was going to be number one!

William’s Zippo was sacred. Not even his family was allowed to touch the lighter without his permission. It was everything, a tool, an accessory, an icebreaker, even an entertainment. Oh so carefully taken care of, never lacking fluid, and with wicks burnt from experience and anecdotes; William could probably write a poem about the utensil if it were to be necessary. Pyromania at its best, Will loved watching the flame go on and off. The clicking sound was just as addictive. The urge of burning down an entire forest or melting things down was unrestrainable. Foolish human ways of conduct.

“Y…you…shouldn’t pl…play…with…th…ings….like…t...that…”

“Huh?”

Oh no she didn’t. One of the females in the room, the one with a darker hair, had stood from her place and walked over to Will, quickly snapping his lighter off of his hand and watching it slowly drivel to under a small fridge. The girl casually, albeit very nervously, walked back to her place.

Hadn’t she been a female, William would’ve taken her hand and snapped it into 14 little pieces. No, not even that. He would’ve bitten 3 fingers off, clean. A flame inside him ignited with the same fierceness as the lighter itself, and the heat was evident on his eyes.

~Who the hell do you think you are…~ Will thought, vexed; but his anger was just soothed by the evident danger of the girl. She hadn’t done it maliciously, she was scared soulless. Pyrophobia? Damn, how was she supposed to travel with that kind of girl? Supposing they were to venture together, that is. Silently and controlling his harshening breaths, William walked over to the fridge and kneeled down; lifting it high enough to pull out the Zippo with his feet. He felt his muscles aching, it was a tough effort doing heavy lifting in the morning and without stretching, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. Mumble, mumble, mumble.

William sat down and just waited, putting his lighter away out of respect for the other girl. Soon, Artie arrived and took a seat next to him, at the same time Juniper walked into the room.

“Just in time.” William tried to stare Artemis down, trying to keep an imposing, older brother role; but truth was Artie was too laid back like to care, and Will was too kindhearted like to care much. It was all a big joke with some seriousness buried deep within. The brothers bro fisted before Juniper began to talk.

“Now, you all have your starters I’m sure you all know why I sent out my ads for new Pokemon trainers, to complete my PokéDex. Of course, some of you might have your own reasons for going on your journey though. Whether it be for personal reasons or for personal growth, it does not matter… All that matters now is to try your best, and more importantly have fun. ou will make many friends, and more than a few enemies, I can’t guarantee your safety. But remember, the Pokemon that I just gave you will stick by your side no matter what, so do not mistreat it in any way, it is your companion from start until finish. I wish you the best of luck trainers.”

Everyone was handed a PokéDex, and William was quick and storing it away. He stood there, silently, waiting for the girls to make a first move. If no one too the subconscious leader role, he was undoubtedly going to take the lead. But for now, patience.

"I would really just feel more comfortable if you went back to her, Valeria."

"Are you kidding, mom?! You were the one who urged me to go on this trip. You said it would be good for us to get some "breathing room", that it would "restore tranquility to the soul" and "provide serenity to the mind" or some bullshit like that, I really can't recall."

"Now Valeria, you know what they say. Foul language to the mind is about as nourishing as fast food to the body. Both make you feel like..-"

"Shit?" Valeria offered maliciously, not bothering to even hide her conniving grin over the video phone camera. Valeria didn't even have to look down to where the piece of technology was nestled in the palm of her hand to see her mother's disapproving scowl. She could hear it in her voice way before she chanced a peek.

"I know how much this is going to thrill you Valeria, so I'm just going to go ahead and get this over with: maybe I was wrong." At this, her voice softened.

"Look, I knew that this adventure would bring nothing but good fortune and success for you, Valeria, as you have always been my very strong, very brave free-spirited girl. But I had no idea what kind of influence your leaving would play on Hanako- she's gone today and followed in your footsteps! Valeria honey, don't you agree that for a girl who hasn't spoken a word to anyone outside the family her whole life this change might be too sudden? What if my Hanako gets--"

"Mother, listen." Valeria cut in flatly, no longer amused with her mother's perplexed and aggravated demeanor. It wasn't as if the conversation had just begun, after all. Valeria had been made to listen to her mother's moans of concern, her titters of pity, and her expressions of anguish over her younger adopted daughter for the past hour and a half.

"You think Hanako is a little girl, and you forget that we're barely a year apart! Maybe this seperation will be good for her. Maybe Hanako is trying to tell you something by leaving the nest on her own. Maybe she doesn't want me dithering over her like an overbearing ninny. How is she supposed to make friends when she always has me as a crutch to lean on?"

"Whatever, Valeria. It is impossible talking to you! It was my understanding that you cared about your little sister! I knew you were eager to have some time to yourself, but who knew you would forget your responsibilities completely and let her be thrown to the wolves! Forget it, Valeria. I guess whatever happens to her happens, right?"

Oh hellllll no. Valeria's eyes darkened, quickly becoming overcast, brooding dangerously as silently, she stared into the camera of her phone. Her mouth quickly pursued as her lip began to quiver, and soon she found this involuntary reflex rapidly spreading to her shoulders, her forearms, and her chest. Valeria glared respitefully at her mother for one long, tense moment, concentrating all of her energy into conveying her disgust through her expression. And then she hung up on her. Because she knew that her mother would immediately be calling back tossing out apologies like confetti, Valeria switched this function of her cell phone off.

Unlike her mother, Valeria preferred to work off emotional complications and complexities rather than resolve them verbally, at least when it came to her parents. As if having the disadvantage of being a teenager arguing with two middle-aged know it alls wasn't bad enough, Valeria was also contending against two people who felt as if their word was truth simply because they did everything out of good intentions. Valeria knew that intentions weren't enough. But something her mother said had taken effect, it had struck a nerve, and now Valeria felt thoroughly poisoned by it. She stood, stretching out the muscles that had idled whilst she had been taking this unintentional hour and a half break.

Valeria moved stiffly out from under the shade and privacy of the weeping willow that had first enticed her, and gaed expectantly up into its wispy green branches. Her right hand served as a sun visor as she scanned the leaves for any sign of movement or abnormal coloring. After passing over several promising but ultimately disappointing leads, Valeria finally paused at a branch partially veiling a creature bearing a bright mauve coat. Valeria smirked, bounding up to the tree and giving the creature a good, firm yank. With a startled yowl, a semi-conscious Purrloin plopped into her arms. Malice glared distastefully at Valeria, and the expression was not unlike the one Valeria had cast upon her mother. Seeing Valeria's grin only widen at her sour display, Malice instead switched to cold shoulder tactics, snootily grooming one of her teacup sized paws, deliberately keeping her gaze focused away from Valeria.

"C'mon, Malice. Don't be like that. You know having a hissy fit never does either one of us any good. Listen up, mom is off on a tangent again, and wants us to go check up on Koko. If you're cooperative, there may be a good battle in store for you when we get there."

At this, Malice seemed to perk up a bit, abondoning her efforts at cleaning her paw and instead leaping in one fluid bound to sit atop Valeria's shoulder.

[/i]That's my girl. Always down for the count, and ready to back me up. [i] Valeria thought as Malice stretched, arching her back and curling back her lips to hiss at the Patrat, Pidove, and Tympole that had begun to peek out of the lush green grass at the duo. Valeria chuckled, and prepared to plunge headfirst into the overgrown mess.

Arc 1: BeginningsChapter 1: A journey begins with a single stepPart 1: Route 1, and the mysterious Valeria!

Summary: So you got your Pokedex and your Pokemon, what are you waiting around the lab for? You slowpoke! Time to head out on to Route 1 and start this journey!

Objective: Head to Accumula Town that is at the end of Route 1, maybe catch some new Pokemon on the way?

Places of Interest: N/A

Trainers:There are no Trainers on this area Route 1, only wild pokemon.

People of Interest:

Valeria Ikezawa: A strange girl who seemingly appeared out of no where, she is overly protective of Hanako with one hell of a sharp toungue

Pokemon on this Route:In the Grass:

PatratAbilities:> Run Away - Can always run away fromwild Pokemon battles.> Keen Eye - Accuracy cannot be lowered.Hidden Ability:> Analytic: Attack Power increases by 30% if the Pokemon is the last to attack that turn.Male --50% Female --50%Levels - 2~4Appearance Rate - 50%

LillipupAbilities:> Vital Spirit - The Pokemon cannot be put to Sleep in battle.> Pick up - Has a 10% chance of picking an item up and holding an item after battle.Hidden Ability:> Run Away - Can always successfully flee wild Pokemon battlesMale --50% Female --50%Levels - 2~4Appearance Rate - 50%

Shaking Grass

AudinoAbilities:> Healer - At the end of the turn, there is a 30% chance of either Ally being healed from a status condition.> Regenerate - When the Pokemon switches out of battle, up to 33.3% of HP is restored.Hidden Ability:> Klutz - The Pokemon cannot hold any items except those that effect experience rates such as Exp. Share or Macho BraceMale --50% Female --50%Levels - 2~4Appearance Rate - 100%

---

Well, this was just great. Hanako was put in the worst situation possible, she was traveling with 3 people she did NOT know, one of which was a pyromaniac. Hanako shuddered and continued to look at the ground.

The group had entered on to Route 1 and the three were more than likely eagerly looking for a Pokémon to catch, Hanako ,however, kept her head to the ground. Why had she gone of this journey? She couldn't figure out why one day, shortly after her beloved sister left, that she would go on her own journey. Was she trying to change, or was this some pathetic attempt to go find her sister and latch on to her once more?

Hanako had always silently lamented whether or not she was a burden to her sister with her inferiority complex issues, her inability to talk to people, and just being clingy toward her in general. She wondered if her sister had gone on her own journey to get AWAY from Hanako. Hanako shuddered at that notion, her sister was the only person in the world she had, and if that were to be true...

She shook the thought off.

Hanako looked back up slightly to make sure she was far enough distance away from the group, she could not get within arm's length of them, she was too afraid. Hanako took a good look at the Pokeball she was given, she had not said hello to her Pokemon yet, but as usual a million things ran through her head. What if the Pokemon didn't like her? Would she be a good trainer? Was she up to it?

God, she could not settle down. She felt like she was basically walking on a very brittle stick over a pit of lava. She felt so unsafe, she wanted her sister... Hanako was snapped from her thoughts when Artemis spoke to her.

"What are you so scared of, Miss---er--- what was your name?" He asked Hanako.

Hanako did not respond, only continued to eye the ground and kick a tiny pebble.

"Oi! Don't ignore me!" His voice got sharp.

Hanako flinched at his voice. She felt like an injured mouse cornered by a cat. She wanted to run, quite badly too.

"Her name is Hanako," Haruka chimed in coolly, "She doesn't appear to be much of a talker. Obviously isn't a fan of fire."

Hanako remained silent still, she was silently praying to Arceus that her sister would appear out of nowhere and rescue her.

"Well, Miss Hanako," There was a bit of irritation that it made Hanako wince, "What have you to be so afraid of?" What happened next caught Hanako offguard completely, he had walked up to her and gently grabbed her arm, "Especially with such a handsome boy like me around?"

Hanako was beginning to panic. Someone was touching her, holding her... Her breathing fastened and she futilely tried to slip away from Artemis, she had no strength in her arm though, she was utterly afraid.

"Well?" He asked as if expecting an answer, as if Hanako could give one, "Why do you keep ignoring me?" He yanked her even closer to him.

Too close.

Tears began to form in Hanako's eyes, no words would form in her mouth and she couldn't find the strength to break away from Artemis grip.Onee-chan....

"OI, GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY LITTLE SISTER YOU BRUTE!" A voice screamed in the distance and then a loud SMACK was heard. Hanako looked up, she recognized the voice.

"V-Valeria-chan!" Hanako yelped and noticed Artemis had released her, one square Pokeball to the head had done the trick.

Hanako quickly ran to her sister clung to her like a small child does to their parent, "Can you not TELL she does not like to be touched? You IDIOT!" Valeria spat at Artemis, "Are you okay Hanako, did he hurt you?" Hanako shook her head. She wasn't hurt, but she was scared out of her bloody mind, so she continued to sheepishly cling to Valeria's shirt.

"Well, this is an unexpected surprise," Haruka giggled and knelt down and began poking the bump that was quickly forming on a knocked out cold Artemis. Valeria had always had one hell of an arm, especially when she went into protective mode, "Nice arm, dude."

William had his hand on his face, Hanako couldn't tell if he was angry, irritated, or just laughing his bloody ass off.

"Now if you DARE handle my beloved little sister like that again I will make damn sure you will cease to have a penis and that is NOT a threat, that is a PROMISE. Malice here will make damn sure of it, she isn't called 'Malice' for no reason," Valeria glared and then proceeded to kick an already down Artemis humorously in the face.

Haruka was quite literally rolling on the ground laughing, William still had his hand on his face and let out a loud sigh. Hanako still gripped her sisters shirt sheepishly, trying to make her heart go back to regular rhythm."My name is Valeria Ikezawa, nice to meet you by the way," Valeria added sarcastcally.

Last edited by TheAlmightyGhostPrincess on Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:39 am; edited 3 times in total

Haruka walked along at the front of the group, showing herself as the packleader. Her smirk seemed almost painted on as it never left her face since they left the lab, and she had her pokegear playing an mp3 of Globus: Perliator. Over her music she could hear Artemis bothering Hanako.She seemed so quiet and fearful, and he was becomeing rather ass-hatted... Haruka did not like ass-hatted men. " Her name's Hanako. She doesn't appear to be much of a talker. Obviously isn't a fan of fire. " Haruka watched as Artamis moved infront of her, in a fully threatening manner and took hold of Hanakos arm. She was about to give a threat toward him when a pokeball slammed right into his face.

"OI, GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY LITTLE SISTER YOU BRUTE!" It was a voice Haruka did not recognize, but the girl who shouted it odviously was defending the timid little Hanako.

"V-Valeria-chan!" Hanako rushed into the strange girls arms. Valeria? So that was this girls name.

"Can you not TELL she does not like to be touched? You IDIOT!" She spat at artamis, and Haruka kneeled over him to poke his wound with a stick.

"Well, this is an unexpected surprise. Nice arm dude.. " Haruka grinned as she continued to poke the bump on Artamis. The girl Valeria was still protecting Hanako.

"Now if you DARE handle my beloved little sister like that again I will make damn sure you will cease to have a penis and that is NOT a threat, that is a PROMISE. Malice here will make damn sure of it, she isn't called 'Malice' for no reason," Valeria screamed and then kicked the downed Artamis in the face. Haruka could take no more now, she was down laughing as hard as anyone could laugh. "My name is Valeria Ikezawa, nice to meet you by the way," The girl added sarcastically.

" H..Haruka Yamamoto.. " Haruka said between gasps and giggles, as she tried to catch her breath after the giggle fit. " Pleasure to meetcha. and that Idiot..is Artamis. "

"It's a pokedex", the Prof explained to the young group. Artie surveyed the little group. There were a pair of girls sitting close by, supposedly their new travel partners. One seemed to be deadly afraid of fire too.

'Oh boy. I'll bet she'll be GREAT fun. What with William's obsession with that lighter", remarked his cynicism.'Hey, come on, don't be an asshole", replied his conscious, who was a little bit soft."Oh fine. But if she freezes to death because she won't sit next our campfire, don't blame me.""Wow, you really are an asshole, aren't you?""Why don't you just shove your thoughts right up your-" "Any questions?" The professor's voice pierced his inner monologue. Artie shook his head politely and smiled.

After a short debriefing, Artie followed the rest of the group outside, grasping the small pokeball in his hand. He rolled the ball around his palm, contemplating the contents. It wasn't until now he'd noticed a small leaf symbol pressed above the seal.

Artemis looked up at his fellow companions. His brother was by his side, probably reviewing his Pokedex, Artemis wasn't really paying attention to him. The pyrophobe was a few paces ahead, remaining quite withdrawn from the rest of the group.

"If we're going to be travelling together, you should probably break the ice."

Applying his least threatening smile, he caught up to the girl.

"Hey, there. I'm Artemis. What's your name?" He asked, politely smiling. He was blatantly ignored, as the girl retreated into her own head.

"Her name is Hanako," the fourth member of their group chimed, "She doesn't appear to be much of a talker. Obviously isn't a fan of fire." Artemis resisted the urge to return with sarcasm; it would probably do more harm than good.

'Huh. Well... great." He slumped back a few paces, thinking to himself. "Whatever, maybe she needs time or something..."

*Click*

A pokeball dropped from the girl's belt, rolling to hit Artie's foot. He picked it up in his stride. Hanako seemed to not notice that she'd dropped it. He lightly grabbed her arm and offered the ball back to her.

"Hey, I think you dropped thi-" He was interrupted as a different pokeball came flying into his forehead.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY LITTLE SISTER, YOU BRUTE!"

Artie stumbled backwards, the pokeball flying from his hand. He crashed into the ground, next to Will. There was a flurry of movement and a new challenger had arrived. And she was screaming. Loudly.

"Can you not TELL she does not like to be touched? You IDIOT!" howled the banshee-like creature. Artemis slowly began to regain his senses, as he assessed the new girl. Sister, most likely.

"Now if you DARE handle my beloved little sister like that again I will make damn sure you will cease to have a penis and that is NOT a threat, that is a PROMISE. Malice here will make damn sure of it, she isn't called 'Malice' for no reason."

"Arceus dammit that hurt... ARRRR-" Artemis cried out in pain, as her foot struck his face. Blood began to stream from his nose.

My name is Valeria Ikezawa, nice to meet you by the way," she added sarcastically.

"Artemis Felix Alcaton. This is my brother Will. And what the hell was that for! I was HELPING HER PICK UP HER DAMN POKEBALL. By Arceus, this bitch is crazy. Will, help me up." He grabbed his brother's arm as Will pulled him to his feet.

"Dammit this hurts. Fuck, give me a sec bro, I just need to reset my nose." There was a shuddering crack as Artemis cracked his nose back to it's original shape, blood still pouring.

The ambient was tense, and the people walking together weren’t getting along, despite it had only been a few minutes after they had been briefed. The weather was lovely, and this was the very first day of these kids’ aventure into life. How was it possible that everyone seemed so… non-ecstatic? Of course, he didn’t’ expect to find his life-long romantic partner or next BFF in the first hour, but the people could’ve already started by saying each other’s names or something. While far from antisocial, William disliked breaking the ice. That’s what Artie usually did, and this time it was no different.

Artemis introduced himself to Hanako, but the female crudely ignored him. Not even the slightest signs of interest sparked in her eyes. William caught up to his brother, in case he introduced him as well, and managed to gasp Haruka’s response. "Her name is Hanako. She doesn't appear to be much of a talker. Obviously isn't a fan of fire."

~Is it really necessary to state that?~ William thought to himself as he listened closely, staying quiet. ~Would you mind telling me the name of her shampoo, and with how many pillows does she sleep?~

With a raised eyebrow, Will stayed behind his brother.

“Weird, huh..” He whispered to him before Artie bent to pick Hanako’s dropped PokéBall. Artie was about to give it to her, logically drawing attention by grasping her arm. By the looks of it, the girl wasn’t going to listen to anyone if it wasn’t due to some interaction of that sort. From then, however…

It all happened so fast.

Out of the bushes and trees, a PokéBall slammed Artie’s face, direct-hit. William didn’t even had time to react to catch the item before it hit his brother. Oh, and even then, before he could even help him up, someone else’s voice pierced the air.

"OI, GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY LITTLE SISTER, YOU BRUTE! Can you not TELL she does not like to be touched? You IDIOT!"

Artie landed next to Will’s feet, who just stared down at him for some seconds, still processing what was going on. What the hell had just happened? Was that girl, the new one, or well, newer one, the one who threw that PokéBall? Quite a quarterback was she, for PokéBalls aren’t even hard enough to bring someone down. Will looked up, eyes aflame, to this new girl. Valerie.

Haruka approached the males, poking the bump on his brother. Will just shunned her away. Girls were an enemy at this point. Oh, it seemed like kindergarten days.

"Now if you DARE handle my beloved little sister like that again I will make damn sure you will cease to have a penis and that is NOT a threat, that is a PROMISE. Malice here will make damn sure of it, she isn't called 'Malice' for no reason.”

~Like anybody gives a crap on why Malice is named as such, whatever Malice may be.~ William thought to himself, still immobile. Not even a Geodude, if it tried to attack him or his brother, would resist a kick from his combat boots. Talking about kicks, however, Artie was now kicked on the face.

Low blow.

"My name is Valeria Ikezawa, nice to meet you by the way.”

So that’s how it went now? You just walked in after causing a really unnecessary struggle, introduced yourself, and then pretend to hear our response like nothing happened? What in the world was wrong with this gi—

"Artemis Felix Alcaton.”

Oh.

“ This is my brother Will. And what the hell was that for! I was HELPING HER PICK UP HER DAMN POKEBALL. By Arceus, this bitch is crazy. Will, help me up."

William stretched his arm down, and the brothers grabbed each other’s forearm. Muy macho. Big Alcaton pulled Young Alcaton up as he complained in pain. "Dammit this hurts. Fuck, give me a sec bro, I just need to reset my nose."

"Got a tissue or something bro?"

William reached back into his backpack and tossed his sweat towel at Artie. Looks he wasn’t going to do some parkour for a while, at least until that got washed.

“You’re a douche, what’s wrong with you trying to sexually abuse that girl; I’m ashamed to share your blood.” He jokingly told his brother, for he too saw what had really happened. Truth was, he didn’t expect this when he first stepped out of his house. He was very angry at the girls, but he would obviously never attempt to hit them or anything.

“We better take our own way, Artie, what the hell. We got the butch, the psycho, and the airhead. We’ll be better off alone.”

William delayed no more, and commandingly, took the lead for Artie to follow, silently strolling past the females. They seemed to be talking to each other. At least the pyrophobic and the PokéBall pitcher. They probably didn’t want the boys with them, either. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to be the only time they’d meet, for after all, they started the journey in the same very moment. If this girls managed to keep a semi-decent step, they would manage to encounter in the gyms or something. But he really didn’t want to think about the troublesome trio right now, instead; he and Artie just ventured deeper into the route.

“Betcha 5 bucks you get your ass handed to you by those girls in less than a month.”

"Koko, are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you? I came up on you guys just in time to see that.. that boy grab your arm. Here, let me see it." Most of this fuss over her younger sister was as automatic and conditioned as the pulse in her wrist, or the pull of air into her lungs.

"I-I'm f-fine." Hanako stammered, her breathing still erratic but beginning to calm down nevertheless. Silently and without any resistance, she extended her arm to Valeria, obediently letting her sister check for any marks or bruises, though she knew that none had been left. Valeria also realized that the probability of this boy who had only just begun his adventure at Hanako's side actually harming her was slim to none, but she didn't care. When it came to her sister, Valeria didn't take chances. She would only be a mediocre sibling if she let even the slightest threat pass without her attention to it, especially given Hanako's inability to defend herself. Sighing, Valeria gently released Hanako's arm, and instead embraced her into a tight hug. Malice likewise greeted Hanako, her expressive cerulean eyes assessing the girl with genuine interest. Malice had only met Hanako once, shortly before Valeria had embarked on her adventure, but any friend of her trainer's was a friend of Malice's. The finicky feline transferred herself from her perch on Valeria's shoulder over to rest in Hanako's arms, and contentedly began grooming herself. Valeria then turned her attention on what was going on with the rest of the trainers.

"Arceus dammit that hurt....ARRRR-" The boy she had bludgeoned cried out in pain, and it suddenly occurred to Valeria that he was still grounded, lying on his back in the dirt. It vaguely occurred to her that she might have been just a teensy bit rash in her verdict, and so after the boy began bellowing like a wounded Tauros, Valeria backed off, her eyes shining with just a hint of remorse. The boy, Artemis as Haruka had introduced him, glanced her way, though she could tell that it was hard for him to concentrate through all of his pain.

"My name is Valeria Ikezawa. Nice to meet you, by the way." Valeria retorted sarcastically. She knew that this made her sound like an A ranked prick, but it was all that she knew. After her insane, thoughtless charge into an assumed situation, she wasn't sure what to say to Artemis.

"Artemis Felix Alcaton. This is my brother Will. And what the hell was the for! I was HELPING HER PICK UP HER DAMN POKEBALL. By Arceus, this bitch is crazy. Will, help me up." Will had started to advance in on his crumpled brother, but before he could wholly intervene, Valeria boldly stepped inbetween him and Artemis, her back turned to Will. She towered over Artemis' fallen form, her gaze darkening, her entire expression souring as she half squatted to Artemis' level.

"Well maybe you should think about how it looks to a complete and total fucking stranger who just so happens to be Hanako's older sister! Look, I know you don't give two shits about my little sister, and I know you are probably going to go to your grave hating me, but if that's the case, I could really care less. I will protect Hanako, regardless of the price I have to pay." At this, she whirled around. Will was glaring daggers at her, looking at her with pure, unadulerated hate and contempt. Though he towered mightily over her, and though he was about twice as thick with muscle, Valeria met his eyes honorably.

"I'm sorry I had to do that, but if you thought somebody was about to hurt your brother that he couldn't handle, I have no doubt in my mind that you would've done the same." The boy still hadn't appeared to have forgiven her, and so more concerned with Hanako's mental well being after this fight than what these two boys thought about her, Valeria made her way back over to Haruka and Hanako.

From behind her, she heard Will start speaking. "We better take our own way, Artie. What the hell. We got the butch, the psycho, and the airhead. We'll be better off alone."

Valeria's shoulders slumped and her heart skipped a beat. The remark stung, but she would never let Will know that. He didn't understand. He would never understand, most likely. It's what had kept Hanako and Valeria from making friends their whole lives, and it what would prevent them from making any lasting connections now. Unless... Valeria grinned sheepishly at the other girl, Haruka. Her beautiful snowy hair made for a bright, iridescent blur in the fierce sunshine, and from this position, where Hanako's hair appeared to have the same effect, especially when viewing the two girls side by side, it wasn't hard to believe that the girls might be related in some way, in fact, that they might be twin... Nah. This wasn't some predictable romance Anime. This was reality. Shit like that just didn't happen in the same world. Trotting over to her sister and Haruka, Valeria winked.

"Well, our two knights in shining armor have bailed on us, and are probably counting on getting pretty far ahead so they don't have to deal with us anymore. They're in for a crushing disappointment when they find out that all that is on this route are some Patrat hungry for fresh teenage meat, and a Lilipup, yappy little purse dog Pokemon." Valeria laughed, extending her arm so that Malice, who had wrapped herself around Hanako's neck like an exotic furry purple scarf would return to her shoulder.

"So what Pokemon did you guys score? Please tell me one of you got a Snivy! When I went up to the Lab, Snivy, my first choice, had already been taken. Juniper hadn't had the chance to catch anymore yet, but don't tell Malice that she wasn't my technical first choice." Valeria winked, poking her tongue out at Malice who just stared her trainer down disdainfully.

There. Hopefully, after that devestating breakup that was entirely her fault, she had at least lightened the mood some.

Arc 1: BeginningsChapter 1: A journey begins with a single stepPart 2: We ain't going to let those boys beat us!

Things had gone from bad to worse to utterly horrific, "Artemis Felix Alcaton. This is my brother Will. And what the hell was that for! I was HELPING HER PICK UP HER DAMN POKEBALL. By Arceus, this bitch is crazy. Will, help me up." Hanako looked at her belt, her Pokeball was missing and then she noticed lying on the ground, not even in 5 feet away from Artemis, was her Pokeball.

So she had merely imagined the whole thing. He was simply trying to give Hanako her Pokeball and once again her own terror made her imagine a scene that never happened. Hanako's imagination had done that to her in the past, it wasn't like she had a mental disorder or anything, it was just her own fear that manifested, it had happened quite a few times when she was first introduced to Valeria as well.

She should apologize, it was her fault things had gotten so out of hand but how should she apologize? Valeria damn near broke Artemis' nose. Hanako felt extremely bad for Artemis at this point along with a load of guilt.

"Well maybe you should think about how it looks to a complete and total fucking stranger who just so happens to be Hanako's older sister! Look, I know you don't give two shits about my little sister, and I know you are probably going to go to your grave hating me, but if that's the case, I could really care less. I will protect Hanako, regardless of the price I have to pay."

This struck a nerve with Hanako, she felt a lump form in her throat. It wasn't fair to Valeria...Hanako had contemplated this notion many times over, but in the end she always ended up giving up to the ever cruel voice in her head that had convinced her for all these years that she was worth nothing.

It was born out of her own self-doubt, the voice, it was her violently yelling at herself and the manifestation of her own self-doubt.

"I'm sorry I had to do that, but if you thought somebody was about to hurt your brother that he couldn't handle, I have no doubt in my mind that you would've done the same," Valeria glared at Will and he simply glared back. Hanako forced down the lump in her throat as Valeria slowly approached her.

She had to change, not just for Valeria, but for herself as well but could she do it? That was thing...

"We better take our own way, Artie. What the hell. We got the butch, the psycho, and the airhead. We'll be better off alone," William spat, Hanako saw Valeria slump just a bit. To be honest, the remarks hurt.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry....I'm sorry...I'm sorry...Please forgive me...It's my fault...Don't be mad with me..." Hanako repeated over and over in her head but couldn't form the words to say them out loud and watched them walk away in and fade off into the distance."Tch, you screwed up again, Hanako. You are always are screwing things up, that's all you're good for, screwing up and being a burden,"The part of her that was filled with utter malice for herself was laughing at her, mocking her, telling her she was nothing...

Like always.

"I want to change..." Hanako mumbled to herself, so quiet that she herself could barely hear the words.

"You can't change, you're a worthless piece of garbage and are better off dead."

Hanako sighed a bit, in a way, she felt she was right. She had always regarded herself as worthless and inferior, but that's why she needed to change, right?

"Well, our two knights in shining armor have bailed on us, and are probably counting on getting pretty far ahead so they don't have to deal with us anymore. They're in for a crushing disappointment when they find out that all that is on this route are some Patrat hungry for fresh teenage meat, and a Lilipup, yappy little purse dog Pokémon." Valeria laughed, extending her arm so that Malice, who had wrapped herself around Hanako's neck like an exotic furry purple scarf would return to her shoulder, "So what Pokemon did you guys score? Please tell me one of you got a Snivy! When I went up to the Lab, Snivy, my first choice, had already been taken. Juniper hadn't had the chance to catch anymore yet, but don't tell Malice that she wasn't my technical first choice." Valeria winked, poking her tongue out at Malice who just stared her trainer down disdainfully.

The Pokeball opened to reveal a small, blue, Otter-like Pokémon who was simply standing there, "Osha..." it mumbled quietly and then looked down at the ground. Hanako stepped up to the Pokémon and bent down, it flinched and stepped back nervously.

"I am Hanako Ikezawa...It will be a pleasure to travel with you...Seychelles..." Hanako gave the Pokémon a pat on the head and it seemed to physically relax. It seemed to trust her, knowing she didn't have any bad intentions in mind so it quietly stepped a bit closer to her.

"Oh...I should put the entry in the Pokedex..." Hanako mumbled and took the device out of her bag and opened it.

Oshawatt the Sea Otter Pokemon

The scalchop on its stomach is made from the same elements as claws. It detaches the scalchop for use as a blade.

Hanako looked at Seychelles for a few moments, she was lucky, her started was very cute, and sounded like it could kick some major butt if it had to.

"Oshaaa..." The Pokemon mumbled and clung to her leg before being scooped up by Valeria.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S SO FREAKING ADORABLE! Sure it's not a Snivy but still! Leave it to you Hanako to find an adorable Pokemon as your starter!" Valeria yelled and was hugging Seychelles which, from the looks of it, did not make Seychelles happy, in fact, she look frightened.

"Um...Onee-chan...I don't think Seychelles likes that..." Hanako mumbled as she could see her Pokemon was struggling in her arms trying to get free. Seychelles after a good amount of struggling popped out of her arms and ran back to Hanako and clung to her leg, frightened.

"Hah! It looks like we got a second Hanako on our hands!" Haruka laughed, "I got a Sandile!" Haruka smiled pleasantly, "Sadly that douche bag William got the Snivy, but don't worry we'll show them!"

While the Valeria and Haruka conversed over God knows what Hanako sighed and scooped up Seychelles in her arms, "Don't worry...I'll try hard to be a good trainer...Even if I'm really weak right now...I promise to be a good trainer..." Hanako mumbled to Seychelles and it burried it's head into her chest and made a small 'Osha...' sound.

To be honest though, Hanako wasn't all that sure she could be a good trainer, Hanako didn't like making promises she couldn't keep.

"Well we should get going!" Valeria exclaimed happily."Yeah, we don't want those boys to beat us!" Haruka yelled and the two girl's high-fived each other comically."C'mon Hanako, let's go~!" Valeria smiled at her, Hanako merely nodded and with Seychelles in hand, the three started off for Accumula Town.

Haruka sat up, chuckling as she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. Seems the new girl Valarias arrival had turned it into a boys vs girls seperation challange. She stood up, grinning widely at the idea. Idealy, the girls would surpass the boys in this, there was no doubt. It was a three vs two challange, and with the numbers, and just the fact that the three of them were girls, They would win for sure!

"Well, our two knights in shining armor have bailed on us, and are probably counting on getting pretty far ahead so they don't have to deal with us anymore. They're in for a crushing disappointment when they find out that all that is on this route are some Patrat hungry for fresh teenage meat, and a Lilipup, yappy little purse dog Pokémon." Valaria laughed, then stuck out her arm so that Malice, a cute, yet proud looking perloin, who was wrapped around hanakos shoulders, would return to her. " So what Pokemon did you guys score? Please tell me one of you got a Snivy! When I went up to the Lab, Snivy, my first choice, had already been taken. Juniper hadn't had the chance to catch anymore yet, but don't tell Malice that she wasn't my technical first choice." Valeria winked, poking her tongue out at Malice who just stared her trainer down with a pissed off face. Valaria just seemed to laugh at the look her kitty gave her. Haruka was likeing her allready, she had spunk, and it was well needed for this team to really succeed.

"Um...I haven't actually got to meet my Pokémon yet..." Hanako mumbled and picked up the drop Pokeball, "Um...You can come on out now, Seychelles..." She held out her pokeball and in a flash of red, a tiny blueish furred pokemon was standing there with a timid look in its eyes. The poor creature seemed to flinch at the slightest movement. "I am Hanako Ikezawa...It will be a pleasure to travel with you...Seychelles..." Hanako gave the Pokémon a pat on the head and it seemed to physically relax. Hanako eyed the pokemon, smileing slightly. Like trainer, like pokemon it seemed. As Hanako got the information in her pokedex, Haruka took the time to fondle her own pokeball. Valaria however, was purely transfixed on the small blue otter.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S SO FREAKING ADORABLE! Sure it's not a Snivy but still! Leave it to you Hanako to find an adorable Pokemon as your starter!" Valeria yelled and was hugging Seychelles which, from the looks of it, did not make Seychelles happy, in fact, the poor pokemon seemed ready to have a total heart attack!

"Um...Onee-chan...I don't think Seychelles likes that..." Hanako mumbled, and Haruka was surprized that she could even hear the poor girl over Valarias squeels of delight. Luckily, after a good bit of struggle, the small oshawatt managed to break free of the elder sisters arms and pounce into Hanakos, where it trembled and tried to regain some comfort. Haruka just chuckled.

"Hah! It looks like we got a second Hanako on our hands!" Haruka laughed, "I got a Sandile!" she grinned widely, proud to brag that she got her ideal pokemon partner. "Sadly that douche bag William got the Snivy, but don't worry we'll show them!" She then walked over to Valaria and started makeing plans for kicking total boy butt, and proveing boobs beat the penis any day of the month. She could see this was an epic friendship in the makeing. When they finally had a battle plan down, it being " JUST KICK BUTT AND TAKE NAMES " the two girls shook hands and laughed.

"Well we should get going!" Valeria exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, we don't want those boys to beat us!" Haruka yelled and the two girl's high-fived each other comically. Haruka than started prancing off ahead, hoping to find a patrat to capture. Figuring the best way to get one of the critters to come out of hideing, she pulled out a bag of chips from her pack and waved it around. " Here patrat patrat patrat! "

Arc 1: BeginningsChapter 1: A journey begins with a single step.Part 2: A new partner.

"Bro, let’s catch some Pokémon!” Will perked up as the brothers ditched the girls. Artie surveyed the scene as the pair ran full burst into the route. It wasn't too big, but the sprawling grass littered the terrain between the boys and the next city. The blades grew high, concealing the multitudes of pokemon that hid inside it.

"Hey, wait up a sec. I want to see my new partner!" Artie barked at his brother. He thumbed the red ball and energy shot forth from it. A green serpentine creature appeared from the contents and bolted up Artie's arm, residing on his shoulder. The creature flicked off Artie's fedora and placed it upon it's head. A robotic voice burst from the Pokedex in Artie's hand. He'd forgotten it was even there.

Snivy, The Grass Snake Pokemon.Male.They photosynthesize by bathing their tails in sunlight. When they are not feeling well, their tails droop.

"Awesome. I'll call you Sebastian." The Snivy hummed in appreciation and grinned at Artie. "And I'll be taking that back, thanks", he said, grabbing his hat off the Pokemon's head. Sebastian snarled, and gripped tighter onto the hat. "It's alright, I'll get you a different one in the next town. Alright?" The serpent released it's grip tentatively and returned to it's amused state.

"Now let's find you a partner!" Artie yelled in excitement. He took three steps into the grass before he was met with trouble.

"OUCH!" Artie yelled as teeth sunk into his foot. He kicked out, sending the small assailant spiraling off his foot. "Get it!" He yelled at Sebastian, who had already jumped off Artie and was running towards the little creature.

"Tackle!" The Snivy crashed head first into the wild Pokemon. There was a flash of brown fur as the little creature fought back, but Sebastian was ready. He darted to the side, then brought down his tail upon the critter. It didn't stand a chance.

"Sebastian! Catch!" Artie yelled, throwing a different Pokeball to the snake. He caught it and whacked the critter over the head with it, clipping the button on it's way past. There was a flash of red light and the creature disappeared.

"Good work buddy! HEY WILL! WE CAUGHT SOMETHING!" He yelled to his brother.

Before Will had the time to think about anything, Artie had already stepped up to search for pokemon for a capture. Seeing his brother walk through the grass, Will following close behind, brought back a number of memories. He saw Artie as the young’un, albeit him only being insignificantly younger. It reminded him of when they were young kids; when his father and they would go searching for wild Pokémon.

Flashbacks.

The dynamic Alcaton duo, energetic children, sprinted through the grass like there was no tomorrow, mindlessly kicking Rattata that got in their path. Juggernauts. Their father would just sit back, watch them play and study the ground, wind, and plants for future survival skills. The guy was a good man, one who would never leave his kids unattended and made sure they never lacked anything. Oh, those Team Plasma guys were gonna pay so hard for what they’d done.

Will was lost in thought until his brother pulled him out of the dream tracks.

“HEY WILL! WE CAUGHT SOMETHING!”

“Huh?”

Will stepped forward and saw the PokéBall that his brother had just tossed click.

“We? Nah, that’s all you bro!” Will grinned. A capture, so fast? At that rate, Artie’d sure catch ‘em all.

“What did you capture, anyway?”

Almost as if it had understood, the PokéDex on Artie’s belt began to talk. “Patrat,” it began as Will jumped back, stunned, “the scout Pokémon.Extremely cautious, they take shifts to maintain a constant watch of their nest. They feel insecure without a lookout.”

“Guess their lookout isn’t doing a good enough job.” Will mocked.

“I suppose… I’ll have a go now! Akai, your turn!”The Tepig sprung out of the crimson-white capsule as soon as it reached the floor after Will’s harsh toss. The data was registered in the PokéDex, and almost immediately, a Lillipup hopped out of a burrow. He probably was searching for some bone to chew on. Will thought Lillypup were cute, but he was too macho to say so. He really wanted one, though.

“Alright, Akai. Get him, girl! Ember!”

The Tepig raised her corky tail and settled paws deep into the ground to prepare for the attack. The first spark formed inside her mouth to release the hellish torrent, but then… foop. Extinguished. Akai didn’t know the move yet. Will could almost see the giant ‘?’ plop on top of the pig’s head before the wild pup rushed for a physical hit. For a small Pokémon, he hit really hard.

Akai bounced back, but she recovered herself noticeably fast.

“Damn,” Will thought to himself. “Let’s go old school, go for the tackle!”

If the pup wanted to get physical, they were going to get physical. Lillipup were brave, nimble, and fit; but they were no match for the overweight pork.

Akai ran towards the canine, and in an unexpected twist of events, tripped the previously mentioned burrow. The little baconball was launched into the air with her own inertia. Will cringed, but his frown turned into a smile when he saw what happened. The blast had launched Akai directly towards Lillipup, who couldn’t even move after the impact. Akai was hit with some recoil, but it was minimal. Excited, Will pulled a PokéBall out and threw it at Lillipup. Akai withdrew herself, eagerly staring at the ball sway from side to side. It did so thrice before coming still.

“Yeah!” Will cried out loud as Akai rolled the ball over to his feet with her snout. “Good girl!” He said as he petted the soft skin of the pig and picked the PokéBall up. “You’ll be Mango. Mango the Lillipup.”

Akai looked up at Will, like, really? Will laughed and withdrew the pig.“Yo, Artie! Let’s move up. Guess what I heard on the news while your lazy a** while still asleep? This first town we’re headed to, it’s hosting a huge festival tonight! It’ll be awesome. Let’s hurry to find a spot to spend the night and prepare ourselves for the party. Maybe you’ll meet Mrs. Right.”

Will laughed. He was stoked about this whole idea of journeying. Without even waiting for Artie, he began a steady stroll forward, wanting to take the early hour into full advantage.